Tree named &#39;xTaxodiomera peizhongii&#39;

ABSTRACT

× Taxodiomera peizhongii  is a distinct and new above ground nontubular propagated cultivar comprising a tall semi-indeciduous arbor tree providing a high view.  ×Taxodiomera peizhongii  is well suited for afforestation in the city and has many good properties such as fast growth, wide adaptability and strong stress resistance. Its main characteristics include: (1) its base of stem is round and regular without buttress roots; (2) its bark cracks into flakes; (3) there are several main crotches five to eight meters above ground, and its canopy is nearly elliptic shape; (4) there are only male conglobate flower and no female conglobate fruit on the adult tree, and it cannot reproduce with sexual propagation manner. It possesses additional good properties including enhanced saline tolerance (salt content is below about 3.9%), alkali tolerance (7≦pH&lt;8.9), moisture resistance and good (pleasing visual) landscape effect.

Plant named ‘Dongfangshan’

Latin name: ×Taxodiomera peizhongii

Variety denomination: Dongfangshan

Inventors: Ye Zengji, Shen Lieying, Pan Shihua, Zhu Weijie, Niu Huijuan

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

1. Field of the Invention

The new cultivar, ×Taxodiomera peizhongii, is the filial generation ofTaxodium mucronatum Ten and Crytomeria fortunei.

Cultivated plant seedlings have been asexually reproduced and haveproved to be stable and uniform and have characteristics distinct fromknown plants. Seedling plants were found in a cultivated state. Uniquecharacteristics of this new cultivar as herein described are firmlyfixed and retain the identical distinguishing characteristics of the newcultivar through successive generations of asexual propagation. Thiscultivar has use in afforestation, establishing a forest network or atree coastal shelter belt and for landscaping along rivers, in parks andin communities.

2. The Description of ×Taxodiomera Peizhongii's Particularity Relativeto Its Parent

×Taxodiomera peizhongii belongs to Taxodium of Taxo diaceae, whichoriginated from the wide cross of Taxodium mucronatum Ten (♀) andCrytomeria fortunei (♂). The main configuration of ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii is similar to maternal taxodium mucronatum ten, thephenomenon of biased maternal inheritance of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii isalso approved by RAPD analysis, the analysis makes it clear that thegenetic distance (0.210˜0.246) between ×Taxodiomera peizhongii andmaternal taxodium mucronaturn ten is far less than the genetic distance(0.757˜0.764) between it and paternal Crytomeria fortunei. Its maincharacters are: (1) its base of stem is round and regular withoutbuttress root, close to paternal Crytomeria fortunei, whereas itsmaternal taxodium mucronatum ten has buttress root; (2) the bark oftaxodim mucronatum ten cracks into strips, but the ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii has transverse cracks besides split cracks and its barkcracks into flakes; (3) there often are several main crotches five toeight meters above ground in the ×Taxodiomera peizhongii's trunk stem,its canopy is nearly elliptic shape, this is obviously differ from itsmaternal and paternal plant, there is obviously no crotch in the trunkstem of maternal taxodim mucronatum ten, and the canopy extends to wideconic shape, however the canopy of Crytomeria fortunei is long ellipticshape in common; (4) there are only male conglobate fruit on the adulttree of more than 30 years old, arranging in vertical disposition, seethe type specimen (picture 2). and no female conglobate fruit on theadult tree, and it cannot reproduce with sexual propagation manner.

Origin and Asexual Reproduction of the New Cultivar

Taxodium mucronatum Ten belongs to Taxoduim of Taxodiaceae and is a talldeciduous or semi-indeciduous arbor species, which originated in Mexicoand in Texas and was introduced to the Peoples Republic of China inabout 1925. The Crytomeria fortunei is belong to Cryptomeria D. Don oftaxodiaceae, it is evergreen tall arbor, and is originated in ZhejiangProvince of China. In 1962, after pollinating Taxodium mucronatum Ten atNanjing Engineering College using pollen of Crytomeria fortunei, weobtained three cones. By seeding them, we were able to produce twelveseedlings. We selected five of them after planting. More than 6,000seedlings were obtained in 1972 after stem planting.

×Taxodium peizhongii has been spread and planted experimentally afterthirty years of studies conducted by Shanghai Central Station ofForestry including afforestation, cultivation and propagation tests(asexual reproduction in a cultivated state) under different ecologicalconditions. Such studies included detailed research on its germplasmcharacters and its ecological value. Presently there is a ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii population of about 2,000 thirty-year-old trees in thePeoples Republic of China with the tree population growing on landhaving a salt content of 3.9%. Some of that tree population is growingwith the base and root system submerged in water, while other trees ofthat population grow under various ecological areas such as riversidesand parks.

Through Genetic Comparing the ×Taxodiomera Peizhongii Is Proved to Be aNew Steady Breed

In the whole Chuansha forestry center with more than 1000 trunks×Taxodiomera peizhongii, its stand forest structure is accordant.

After three continuous years observation on-site and collecting in thecollecting sites of Songjiang Drunk-white Pool, Xinqiao Nursery, JinshanShore Park, the plant area of Petrochemical Complex, the double bank ofChuanyang River in Pudong New Area, Yangjing Nursery, Chuansha ForestryCentre and other sites of Najing and Zhenjiang, it is shown that thereis no difference in the configuration between different sites.

In recent years, the materials gathered from the collecting sites ofSongjiang Drunk-white Pool, Xinqiao Nursery, Jinshan Shore Park, theplant area of Petrochemical Complex, the double bank of Chuanyang Riverin Pudong New Area, Yangjing Nursery, Chuansha Forestry Centre and othersites of Najing and Zhenjiang are accordant, all no female conglobatefruit, there is no different instance relative to type specimen The stemstructures, branch characters and canopy shapes are all comparativelyaccordant.

The Detailed Examples of Asexual Propagation of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii

We researched the approach of asexual propagation of ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii, the specific methods are as follows: hardwood cutting,greenwood cutting, tissue culture, graft and etc., it is proved throughpracticing that greenwood cutting and graft are the better methods.

Greenwood Cutting

Use the current growth half-lignified shoot of ×Taxodiomera peizhongiito be the cutting wood, cutting in the seasons of early summer (plumseason), midsummer and early autumn, furthermore, can cut in the winterutilizing the establishment of greenhouse. Among them, the effects ofcutting in plum season and winter are the best, the rooting rate canreach 72%˜75%, higher than the rooting rate of cutting in midsummer andearly autumn.

Specific Method:

Cut the shoot into a cutting wood of 10˜12 cm with a sharp knife, thenotch must be smooth. Before cut, the cutting wood should be dippedrapidly into naphthyl acetic acid of 500 ppm or dipped in naphthylaceticacid of 50 ppm for 6 hours, the cutting wood must be cut in medium(coarse yellow sand, plant ash, pearl sand or roseite) by ⅔ or ½. Aftercutting, compress tightly the medium, water completely and do thetreatment of shading and wetting, it can root after 40˜60 days wellmanaging like this.

Grafting

Graft in early spring before foliation.

Use the seedling of annual taxodium ascendens Brongn or taxodiumdistichum as tree stock, take the vigorous annual shoot without diseasesand insect pests as scion wood, and trim the scion wood to be a scionwith only 2˜3 buds, adopt the method of “heart center approachgrafting”, when the graft is surviving, do the stock tip pruning, butremain a preponderant bud on the scion wood, and well foster it,therewith its growth can be more than 1M.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Distinctive characteristics of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii include: (1) itsbase of stem is round and regular without buttress root; (2) its barkcracks into flakes (3) there are several main crotches five to eightmeters above ground, (4) its canopy is nearly elliptic shape; (5) thereare only male conglobate flower and no female conglobate fruit on theadult tree, and (6) it only reproduces asexually. ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii also possesses additional good properties including salinetolerance (salt content is below 3.9%), alkali tolerance (7≦pH≦8.9),moisture resistance and provides good landscape effect. ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii is suitable for afforestation and establishing farmland,forest network, and coastal shelter belt on intertidal zones.×Taxodiomera peizhongii grows well in alkali soils, alkaline lands,marsh, riverbanks, gardens, park landscapes, factories and communities.

×Taxodiomera peizhongii has been successfully exactly reproduced fromits originating as a seedling using asexual reproduction methods such astwig cuttage, a asexual reproduction produces an exact copy of the×Taxodiomera peizhongii plant which is identical to the original plantin every distinguishing characteristic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIG. 1 shows the biggest ×Taxodiomera peizhongii tree, a thirty-year-oldtree growing in Chuansha Forestry Center, Shanghai, Peoples Republic ofChina. Its diameter at breast height is 62.5 cm. Its stem requires twopersons to fully clasp hands to reach around the perimeter of the tree.

FIG. 2 shows a specimen of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii.

FIG. 3 shows one of the characteristics of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii—roundand regular stem base. The stem base of × Taxodiomera peizhongii isround and regular without buttress roots.

FIG. 4 shows Taxodium mucronatum Ten, the control variety of×Taxodiomera peizhongii, which has distinct buttress roots.

FIG. 5 shows a second characteristic of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii—itsflaky bark.

FIG. 6 shows a third characteristic of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii—multiplecrotches on the trunk. There are always several crotches on the trunkfive to eight meters above ground.

FIG. 7 shows a semi-indeciduous characteristic of ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii. ×Taxodiomera peizhongii is lush and it foliage begins tofall off at the end of the calendar month December, while the foliage ofmetasequoia falls off after November.

FIG. 8 shows the moisture tolerance characteristic of ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii. In Songjiang Xinqiao Xinjie Nursery of Shanghai city,several scores of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii have grown for almost twentyyears in the river due to the collapse of some of the riverbank whichoccurred in the 1980's. The growth vigor of these trees growing in theriver is comparable to those trees which remained growing on a remainingpart of the riverbank.

FIG. 9 shows saline and alkali tolerance characteristics of ×Taxodiomerapeizhongii. Jinshan Binhai Park in Shanghai city is reclaimed beachland. Even though salt concentration of this sloping forest land reaches3.9%, ×Taxodiomera peizhongii still grows.

FIG. 10 shows a landscape view of the biggest ×Taxodiomera peizhongiiforest in China—×Taxodiomera peizhongii forest in Chuansha ForestryCenter. Chuansha Forestry Center is located on one of the main pathwaysof typhoon(s) from the sea to Shanghai city. The pH value of theforestry center soil is about 8.6. However, ×Taxodiomera peizhongiigrows very well in this alkali soil.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The main botanical characteristics of ‘×Taxodiomera peizhongii’ follow:

-   Plant:    -   -   Latin name.—×Taxodiomera peizhongii.        -   Generic name.—Taxodium.        -   Specific name.—×Taxodiomeria peizhongii.        -   Plant height.—18 meters/30 year old tree.        -   Canopy.—columnar coniform.        -   Florescence.—Month of April.        -   Optimal temperature.—15° C.-30° C.        -   Seed and fruit productivity.—about 40-year-old trees have            not been found to fruit.        -   Characteristics.—tall indeciduous or semi-indeciduous arbor            species.        -   Habits: × Taxodiomera peizhongii likes light, warm and humid            climate, and wet soil; endures half-shade, moisture, salt            alkali and impoverishment and resists wind well.-   Stem or trunk and branch:    -   -   Base.—round and regular.        -   Diameter breast height.—55-62.5 cm for 40-year-old tree.        -   Tapering grade.—small.        -   Ramification characteristic.—there are crotches on the            trunk.        -   Bark color.—taupe.        -   Bark crack.—be strip and broadways cracks into flakiness.        -   Lateral branches.—stretch horizontally or upwards aslant.        -   Persistent twigs.—grayish or henna and slippery, and with            1-1.5 mm diameter.        -   Fallen twigs.—green.        -   Distance among branches.—sparse.        -   Twigs on big tree.—slender.-   Foliage:    -   -   Shape.—strip filate.        -   Length.—3-10 mm.        -   Width.—0.8-1 mm.        -   Arrangement.—foliages on pleurogenous twigs array in two            parallel rows, and the persistent twigs array parallel.        -   Color.—dark greenish-black color.        -   Stalk and basal.—short stalk and decurrent basal.        -   Angle with the stem.—30 degree with pinnate foliage and            10-15 degree with twisted foliage.        -   Venation.—midrib is greenish black.        -   Thickness.—0.2-0.3 mm.-   Fruit:    -   -   Insertion manner of staminate flower.—the 2.5-3 mm round            staminate flowers persist on the top of twigs.        -   Female cone.—no female cone has been found.

This is a brand-new plant variety with adaptability characteristics thatcan grow well in all kinds of ecological conditions.

The plant claimed is ×Taxodiomera peizhongii.

The main botanical characteristics of the female parent of ‘×Taxodiomerapeizhongii’ follow:

-   Plant:    -   -   Latin name.—Taxodium mucronatum Ten.        -   Generic name.—Taxodium.        -   Specific name.—Taxodium mucronutun.        -   Plant height.—50 meters in its native habitat.        -   Canopy.—wide coniform.        -   Florescence.—Month of April.        -   Optimal temperature.—15° C.-30° C.        -   Seed and fruit productivity.—This new variety can bear fruit            in its native habitat, and cannot fruit without having            completed its blooming period.        -   Characteristics.—tall indeciduous or semi-indeciduous arbor            species.        -   Habits.—It likes light, warm and humid climate and wet soil.            It has good endurance to moisture and resists wind.-   Stem or trunk and branch:    -   -   Base.—there are buttress roots on its base.        -   Diameter breast height.—four meters in its native habitat.        -   Tapering grade.—great.        -   Ramification characteristic.—there are always crotches on            its trunk.        -   Bark color.—ficelle.        -   Bark crack.—flaky strip.        -   Lateral branches.—stretch upward aslant or horizontally.        -   Persistent twigs.—dark taupe and slippery, and with 1.5-2 mm            diameter.        -   Fallen twigs.—green.        -   Distance among branches.—moderate.        -   Twigs on big tree.—slender.        -   Shape.—strip filate.        -   Length.—3-15 mm.        -   Width.—1 mm.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—foliages on pleurogenous twigs array in two            parallel rows, and persistent twigs array parallel.        -   Color.—bottle-green.        -   Stalk and basal.—short stalk and decurrent basal.        -   Angle with the stem.—30 degree for the pinnate foliages and            10-15 degree for the helical foliages.        -   Venation.—midrib is greenish black.        -   Thickness.—0.2-0.3 mm.-   Fruit:    -   -   Insertion manner of staminate flower.—2.5 mm-3 mm round            staminate flowers persist on the top of twigs.        -   Female cone.—solitary female cones persist on the top of            twigs.        -   Fruit stalk.—there is almost no stalk.        -   Shape.—it is obovate round, and there are seminiferous scale            enations on it.        -   Color.—green to chocolate brown.        -   Size.—15 mm-25 mm diameter.        -   Maturation stage.—Months of October to November.        -   Seminiferous scale.—ligneous and scutellate, two seeds on            its ventral side.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—irregular triangle, and has obvious ridges.        -   Color.—dark fulvous.        -   Length.—4 mm-5 mm.

The main botanical characteristics of the male parent of ‘×Taxodiomerapeizhongii’ follow:

-   Plant:    -   -   Generic name.—Cryptomeria D. Don.        -   Specific name.—Crytomeria fortunei.        -   Plant height.—about 40 meters in its native habitat.        -   Canopy.—columnar coniform.        -   Florescence.—Month of April.        -   Optimal temperature.—14° C.-25° C.        -   Seed and fruit productivity.—it can fruit.        -   Characteristics.—tall indeciduous arbor species.        -   Habits.—it likes light, humid cool climate and loose soil            with good drainability; and it endures half-shade and            impoverishment.-   Stem or trunk and branch:    -   -   Base.—round and regular.        -   Diameter breast height.—about 3 to 4 meters in its native            habitat.        -   Tapering grade.—small.        -   Ramification characteristic.—erect trunk.        -   Bark color.—taupe.        -   Bark crack.—long strip flakiness.        -   Lateral branches.—stretch horizontally or bend downwards.        -   Persistent twigs.—reddish brown, have grooves under foliages            and the diameter is about 2 mm-4 mm.        -   Distance among branches.—moderate.        -   Twigs on big tree.—thicker.-   Foliage:    -   -   Shape.—conical top end, and bend inwards.        -   Length.—5 mm-15 mm.        -   Width.—0.5 mm-1 mm.        -   Arrangement.—foliages array in five rows helically.        -   Color.—emerald.        -   Stalk and basal.—short stalk and decurrent basal.        -   Angle with the stem.—15 degree 30 degree.        -   Venation.—midrib is not obvious, and there are pore lines            around the midrib.        -   Thickness.—0.8-1 mm.-   Fruit:    -   -   Insertion manner of staminate flower.—5-6 mm elliptical            flowers persist on the top axillae of twigs.        -   Female cone.—solitary female cone on top of twig or            fasciculate cones.        -   Fruit stalk.—there is almost no stalk.        -   Shape.—it is near round with triangular enations on it.        -   Color.—green to chocolate brown.        -   Size.—diameter 12 mm-20 mm.        -   Maturation stage.—Month of October.-   Seed:    -   -   Seminiferous scale.—ligneous and scutellate, and two seeds            in it.        -   Shape.—irregular triangle, and with narrow wing.        -   Color.—puce.        -   Length.—4 mm-5 mm.        -   Width.—2 mm-3 mm.

1. A new and distinct variety of ×Taxodiomera peizhongii tree named‘Dongfangshan’ as illustrated and described herein.